(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Johnson Administration late Friday released an 800-page environmental study of the Brighton Park site that is earmarked for a winterized migrant encampment – a report that indicates some toxic material has been detected on the property.
Mayor Johnson earlier in the week said the public would have access to the information, but reporters were told Friday afternoon they would have to file a Freedom of Information Act request to get the findings. Hours later, after WBBM Newsradio made the request, the city provided a digital link to the material.
For weeks, opponents of using the site at 3710 S. California for a migrant shelter have expressed concerns about the property's history of industrial use. At one point, a zinc smelter was located there.
The executive summary of the report prepared by Terracon Consultants says some samples taken from the site contained amounts of mercury and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate that exceed environmental "remediation objectives."
"Soils in this area will be remediated via excavation and landfill disposal," the study said.
The report also noted "two semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and four metals" in another area, which city officials directed to be covered by gravel.
Environmental test results are not the only potential hurdle for the site.
Iron Workers Union Local One President John Gardiner says the contractor putting up the camp is using non-union labor. The only reason tradesmen were not picketing Friday is because Gov. JB Pritzker's office asked for a pause, he said.
WBBM Newsradio has also reached out to the contractor, GardaWorld, for comment.
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